AlgarExperience, Enjoy the Sea — Attraction in Albufeira

I'm not usually one to write negative feedback. I always like to give positive reviews but since the trip can be a huge chunk of people's spending money I feel it's only right to give  honest feedback of our experience so people can make an informed choice as to whether or not they feel the trip will be enjoyable for them.  I fully expected to boat trip to be the highlight of the entire trip and I think it's fair to say it was the  biggest disappointment of the trip.

The leaflets mention the BBQ will be on a secluded beach. I specifically asked a question when booking if it would be a completely secluded beach. Before I'd even finished asking the question the girl answered stating only the people on our boat would be on the beach .  I must say that we made the booking through an independant company and so it was not Algar experience who mislead us. However, that being said, the leaflets printed by Algar experience lead you also to belive it is a secluded, private beach showing a  picture of an empty beach.  During the boat trip we passed many tiny beaches with not a single soul, each time getting more and more excited to arrive on our own private, secluded beach. Imagine our disappointment when we arrived on a beach full with hundreds of other people and not in any way secluded. The beach was beautiful but an instant disappointment when your expectations are for a quiet, secluded beach like we were told and lead to believe.

Sadly on our trip it seemed to bring out the worst in people. We were one of the first to arrive and queue but ended up being one of the last on the boat simply because we were not willing to run, push and shove past people like most did in order to claim the 'best seats'. We ended up being at the back of the boat on the bottom deck and were actually chuffed with the seats but it did mean we couldn't hear the guy speaking due to the noise of the engine. Again we were fine with that, until I asked the girl behind the bar if there was a toilet on board. Her reply was quite abrupt in tone stating that it was the first announcement on the boat (implying that we should know the answer).  I still tried to be positive but it saddens me to say any exchange I had with members of staff were either miserable or abrupt. There was one young guy who was very cheery and seemed to enjoy being there but I didn't actually have any interaction with him personally.

Part of me felt sorry  for the staff because it seems like they have a hard job dealing with all the pushing and shoving the takes place throughout the trip but I also felt they treated us all as if we were difficult customers and got the impression they were just generally sick of tourists.

On the beach we were looking forward to taking part in the snorkeling and paddle boarding activities but there were only  2 paddle boards and 2 snorkel masks between all of the people on the boat. I have no idea how many people were on the boat in total but it was a lot. Needless to say we didn't get a chance a doing either activities.

We finally started to relax on the beach despite all the disappointments but at that point they were calling us to get back on the boat. It takes a while to load people off the boat to the beach and re-load them back on to the boat so you actually get much less time on the beach than you expect. I'd say it's around 2 or 2 and a half hours max depending on if your last or first off the boat. I appreciate  that may sound a lot of time but when you take into consideration the time queuing for bbq/drinks and activities (if you're lucky enough to get a go) it really isn't much time at all. Needless to say we again were one of the last few to get food because we weren't prepared to run to the queue. To be honest the whole set up just made us feel like animals but also many  people behaved like animals so maybe that's fair?

Anyway both my family and I were thoroughly disappointed by this trip. It was made worse by the fact we did it on our last day. We did see dolphins though which was...

Edit: reaction to the response of the AlgarExperience Team:

To the AlgarExperience Team,

I hope this message finds you well. I would like to sincerely express my confusion and disappointment in response to your recent message addressing my booking inquiry.

First and foremost, I would like to clarify that I am not Tobias's friend, as mentioned in your response. This mistake raises concerns about the accuracy and thoroughness of your investigation into my situation. It appears that there might be a mix-up in the details, which further muddles the situation.

Your assertion that "some members of my group were already consuming beer and displaying signs of being alcoholized as early as 9:45 AM" is entirely false. I must firmly refute this claim, as it is far from the truth. None of the members in my party were consuming alcohol or displaying such behavior at any point during our interaction with your staff.

I find it disheartening that a decision of such magnitude was made based on inaccurate information. As someone who was genuinely looking forward to the AlgarExperience event, it's disconcerting to think that our experience was marred by misinformation.

The statement about upholding a family-oriented atmosphere is understandable, but it is unfortunate that I am compelled to challenge the veracity of the claims made against my group. The decision to reject our boarding based on incorrect observations has left me feeling perplexed and deeply disappointed.

While I appreciate your aim to create a safe and enjoyable environment for all participants, it is crucial that such decisions are based on accurate and substantiated facts. It is my hope that this situation will serve as a reminder to ensure the highest level of accuracy and fairness when assessing such matters.

I am disappointed by the way this situation has been handled, and I sincerely hope for a resolution that upholds the principles of truth and fairness. If you are indeed committed to addressing individual concerns and fostering open dialogue, I kindly request a thorough reevaluation of the circumstances and an acknowledgment of the inaccuracies present in your response.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a resolution that is both accurate and just.

Sincerely,

P K

FIRST Review "Absolutely dreadful experience with algarexperience. From start to finish, it was a complete disappointment. The staff was unhelpful and seemed disinterested in assisting customers. The activities promised were nothing like what was advertised – low quality and poorly organized. It's clear they care more about making money than providing a positive experience. Save your time and money and look for better...

Portugal is full of Natural Beauty, endless coast lines and caves. ‘Benagil Cave’ is one of the top tourist attractions in Albufiera. After visiting, I can see why. It is stunning. Just absolutely incredible. 🤩 We initially were going to book this in advance but held off as we wanted to go in the cave itself. We searched high and low to find a route by land. I was sceptical and optimistic as no one and no where has stated where you can get to the cave by land. Basically, you can’t. 😔 We visited the top of the cave, which is incredible but wanted to get inside the cave. We considered a few options, private speed boat, Kayaking or a Catamaran. The seas are unbelievable and can also be dangerous so we eliminated the speed boat option. We then considered kayaking, as you get taken out to see and then placed on a Kayak for 2 hours where you go into the cave. 💫 We decided to book this option. On the day, we were en route, 1 hour before our booking we had a phone call to say the captain 👨‍✈️ had just returned and the seas were very agitated so the Kayaking 🛶 had been cancelled😭. We went to the ticket office and went for plan C, the Catamaran. Slightly disappointed but I would rather have seen the cave than not seen it at all. The Kayaks actually land into the cave however the Catamaran goes in the cave - as far as possible on the day - for a few minutes and then comes back out. You get given a welcome drink as you start sail which is nice, a choice of orange juice or wine. Despite not knowing or expecting the Catamaran not to go in the cave, as the seas were bouncing and very agitated, the Captain did a fantastic job of going in the cave allowing viewers to get a good look inside. It was a phenomenal experience, which did actually satisfy - to a degree - my requirements. Thank you so much to Christopher, the Captain and the team at AlgarExperience. Christopher was very knowledgeable, multi-lingual, caring and just a super nice gentleman. He gave a thorough documentary on the whole coastline as we sailed towards the Benagil cave, it made the time go so quick. Thank you Christopher. I’d definitely recommend going to see the cave, however you choose. Book in advance if you like, depending on the season, but there are ample opportunities if you don’t book in advance. Expect things to change as the seas 🌊 can change anything scheduled on the day. A lifetime experience, 100%...